The Past is a Crooked Game
Summary: This is a short tutorial case for New York Noir, told as a flashback from the 1930s to the early 1900s. It is meant to introduce new players to the world of New York Noir.
Lead stats: 43 Leads / 2 Docs / 5 Markers / 2 Images / 3 Days / 12.0k Words (286 avg.) / 73.2 KB
Author(s): Jesse Reichler <jessereichler@gmail.com>
Game system: nyNoir
Campaign: High & Low
(part 1)
Game date: 6/10/1915
Additional credits: Editing by Debbie Levy
Difficulty: 1/5
Playtime: 2 hours (2 days)
Cautions: Suitable for all audiences
Version: 3.02 (6/15/26)
Game status: Playable
Features: 
Thumbs Up: 3
Downloads: 42 (views 108)
Owner account: admin (Jesse)
Created: Sat, Nov 09, 2024 at 12:36 AM
Published/Updated: Mon, Jun 15, 2026 at 09:48 PM
Published Files:
- ThePastIsACrookedGame_soloForScreen_letter.pdf (1.0 MB)
- ThePastIsACrookedGame_twocol_a4.pdf (899.9 KB)
- ThePastIsACrookedGame_twocol_letter.pdf (914.4 KB)
Additional Instructions
To play this case, you need to download two things:
- One of the above casebooks in your preferred format (grab the final _twocol_letter.pdf if you are going to print it, or _soloForScreen_letter.pdf if you are going to play it on a screen).
- The New York Noir v6 directories, rules, and other additional files needed to play this case in pdf format
Alternatively, instead of using pdf directories you can use the online directory and map search tools.
If you need further assistance, visit our discord server.
Reviews
Recommended
My first NY Noir game. Not difficult but a nice introduction to the wealth of information available.
Recommended
A very good place to start your NY Noir journey.
Recommended
A fun case designed to teach new players how to become immersed in the world of New York Noir. Would be a mistake to think that the case will be easy though - It’s a challenge in the best way. 😊😊